Smyrna times., 1887-09-14
THE PICTURESQUE PAVANE.
A Revival from the Ball Rooms OF By
gone TImes-HOw It Is Danced.


A Revival from the Ball Rooms OF By.
gone TImes-HOw It Is Danced.
The pavane is to be the next revival
from the ball rooms of the bygone times.
TO dance in character, the performers
should wear Louis XIII dresses, with
their large puffed sleeves and wide van
dyked lace turned back from the shOul-
ders and dropping over the arms. The
overdress and petticOat would not be any
novelty in these days of Louis XIV gowns,
and the lace wired high at the back Of the
neck would be becoming to many and by
no means startling innovation. The
style Of hair, however, would be rather
trying. The coiffure of that period was
perfectly fiat ON the top. The back hair
was arranged around a comb, while q
thick bunch of curls hung over either ear,
cOncealing both. The buckled or rosetted
shoes, with pointed toes and high heels,
are familiar enough to us all.
The mems dress is sufficiently pictur-
esque, with silk stockings, rosetted shoes,
knee breeches ending in frill of rich lace
and tied with ribbons at the knees, tight
Jacket of silk or velvet, with slashed
sleeves and short coat hanging loose from
the shoulders. Their deep cavalier collars
and long lOvelOclIs are inseparably con-
nected in our minds with later period OF
our own island history.
The dance itself is a graceful one, with
much sinuOus turning and twisting OF the
dancers, many sliding steps, deep cOurte-
sizes and pretty pointed toe brought up to
the recover. The music is in triple time,
! like that of the minuet, and the first re-
markable feature in the dance is the start
/ = rrv,Ia m
the very end of the room in the minuet
step, and their slow dance back again to
/ place themselves as vis-a-vis to the other
two couples. Immediately after the lat
ter set off on a similar expedition, return
ing to their original positions. This pre-
liminary canter concluded, the real busi-
ness of the dance begins, strangely enough
| by scattering the four couples to the very
extremities Of the room.
Brought together again in the center
still holding hands, they content them
selvus with more limited space, ranging
themselves as though for a quadrille. Th'
third figure is a pretty one, but one II
which men in modern costume woulC
probably feel themselves to be ridiculous
Each gentleman kneels ON one knee, hi
sword well out at the back, his right hanC
resting-palm upward-On his right knee
Each lady, taking a scrap Of her Overdres
in each hand sets off with the left foo
and glides coquettishly in front of tn
partner opposite her own in a diagonal di
rectiOn.
Then the men rise, lady and cavaGe
making each other a low reverence, Tn
whole four couples in the same moment
Much of the beauty Of this figure con
sists in the courtesy being made exactl
simultaneously by the eight dancers
! This was the only point in which tn
dancers at the costume ball failed in thei
gavot. Some Of them were rising aftC
! their low bow, at the moment when othel
! were making the descent, This reverend
!. over, the cavaliers go down again on on
knee, while the ladies dance off, each a
a irving before her very own partner, whe
|. there are fresh cOurtesies, the men risiu
and giving their right hands to the ladie
4 who pirouette without letting go the hanl
being supported by the other arm Of the
l. partners, which is passed round the
I waist
i In the last figure the four dancers for
a a circle by taking hands and then lettiI
. 20, but still holding the arms raised his
u in the air, each couple turns to each 9th
4 with a step to the right and then one
the left repeating this double mOveme
= four times. After this each couple stan
4 ranged behind the first and dances off 0
II Of the room by door on the opposite 81
:. to that by which they danced into 1t.
u London Society.